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About this tool
Turns the jobs you plan to do into a phased tool list and budget, with a buy-or-hire test on every expensive item.
Turns a list of jobs you intend to do into the tools those jobs actually require, split into three phases: essential before you start, useful once you are going, and specialist tools that only pay off with repetition. Every hireable item is tested against the break-even rule — buy when the purchase price is below the expected number of uses multiplied by the daily hire rate, hire when it is above. Tick what you already own and it drops out of the budget.
Open DIY Tool Kit Builder on AltFTool — it loads instantly in your browser.
Add your input to the workspace.
Adjust the options until the result looks right.
Copy or download the output and put it to work.
Separates what you need today from what can wait until the third project.
Compares purchase price against your expected use count times the hire rate, item by item.
Each tool shows which of your jobs called for it, so nothing appears without a reason.
A tape measure, claw hammer, screwdriver set, 600 mm spirit level, utility knife, pliers, hex keys and safety glasses cover the majority of household jobs, with a cordless drill driver as the one power tool worth buying early. That list handles flat-pack assembly, hanging things and small repairs; everything beyond it should be bought because a specific job demands it.
Divide the purchase price by the daily hire rate — that is how many uses it takes to break even. A tile cutter at ₹9,000 against ₹600 a day breaks even at fifteen uses, which almost nobody reaches, so hire it. A cordless drill at ₹6,000 against ₹250 a day breaks even at twenty-four uses, which most households pass in the first year.
Buy mid-range for anything you use often and budget for anything you use rarely, with two exceptions. Screwdrivers and drill bits should never be the cheapest available, because soft tips round off screw heads and turn a five-minute job into an extraction. Safety equipment is the other exception — buy it properly the first time.
Safety glasses for any cutting, drilling overhead or hammering masonry; an FFP2 or better dust mask for wood, MDF and masonry dust; and ear defenders for any power tool run for more than a few minutes. Together they cost less than a single mid-range tool, and each protects against damage that does not heal.